Madison Reporter

The University of Wisconsin–Madison celebrated the commencement for thousands of spring graduates at Camp Randall Stadium on May 11, 2024. The event was graced by former Badger hockey legend Meghan Duggan, who shared her experiences and lessons learned during her ascent to Olympic gold.

Duggan expressed her honor in being part of the celebration, "To be back in Madison, to be back in iconic Camp Randall Stadium, to celebrate you and all that you have achieved, know this: For me, it is the honor of a lifetime." The crowd at the ceremony was estimated at over 50,000, making it one of the largest in commencement history.

The weekend's festivities saw a total of 8,586 students earning degrees. On Friday evening at the Kohl Center, diplomas were conferred to all doctoral, MFA and medical professional degree candidates. Saturday’s ceremony celebrated bachelor’s, master’s and law degree candidates.

Hannah Beck, a graduate from suburban Chicago who earned a bachelor’s degree in communication arts expressed her joy at the event saying “When we walked in here, the sunlight hit us, and it felt so right. We put in a lot of hard work. We needed this moment.”

Gracie Nelson, senior class president addressed her fellow graduates emphasizing that “it is not our resumes or the titles we hold that define us but the depth of our humanity.” She encouraged them to champion empathy, kindness and solidarity as they embark on new journeys.

Meghan Duggan shared advice she received from UW women’s hockey coach Mark Johnson who would tell his players to “Make good decisions” at the start of every season. Duggan offered three pieces of advice to graduates: Be your authentic self; focus on forming solid relationships; understand that winners fail all the time.

Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin praised graduates for succeeding academically and being deeply engaged in solving problems in the world, in the proud tradition of the Wisconsin Idea. She also acknowledged the pain and grief over the devastating destruction, injustice, and loss of life in Gaza and Israel.

Sanjana Prabhakar, of Mumbai, India, who was given the special honor Saturday of carrying the flag for the Graduate School expressed her attachment to Madison saying “In just two years, Madison became my home.”

The event ended with fireworks overhead while graduate Ryan Nash sang the National Anthem.